Author Archives: Amanda

We do feel we are close now. Meeting with our transport man today, signwriter yesterday & shower screen fitted yesterday as well.  A few days of ‘finishing’ inside and we’ll be ready to seal the inside teak floors.  They have been sanded so ready to go.  We have even put a mattress in!  Not an… Read More »

It really struck home today … the end is near! We have our table in place, ready for bolts through the bridge deck … and we have started sanding the floors!  Starting with the main bathroom and port hull, floors are sanded AND we have our first coat on our bathroom floor.  Looks brilliant! Just… Read More »

Good to be back on deck with a few days of uninterrupted boat work.  With a break in the weather we ‘fixed’ the main-track and placed the helm seat pedestal. A bit of thought needs to go in to this one as the seat has to be strong and secure. We figure when you are… Read More »

The tender!!  We visited the Sydney Boat Show last year and one of the items on our ‘shopping list’ was a tender.  Well, our ‘research list’ I mean.  After listening to all the usual players sprout their stuff on the pros and cons of hypalon versus PVC, aluminium versus fibreglass bottom etc etc … and… Read More »

Why on earth would you want to go and collect your own rig from Sydney on a very, very long trailer! My only defence is to say that it seemed like a good idea at the time! However, a 12 metre long borrowed trailer does not mix with Melbourne or Sydney traffic that well and… Read More »

After many months of researching, Neville decided on a Seldon rig.  He left at 5.30 am yesterday on a road trip with his friend JA to Sydney, to collect his rig.  A very very long trailer in tow!  

Sorry no posts lately.  Work commitments have overtaken boat building the last month or so. We just today revisited the boat … had to reconnect to ‘where we were at’ … not easy!  Just as well we had some lists. Hopefully more posts soon!!

Of course Amanda takes most of the photos so obviously doesn’t appear in many. Here are a couple of telling snaps from my phone, and I should add that anyone out there thinking of a project like ours, find a partner up for this type of work if you can! Apart from the stanley knife… Read More »

Winter is here, but with a few sunny dry days on the radar and a long weekend, we have managed to squeeze in a few boat working days.  So outside jobs it is! Neville worked on the cabin roof solar panels and then installed the safety rail on the port side.  Hoping this rail does… Read More »

Work?  A priority at the moment so going very slow on the boat unfortunately … so close!  Back full on in July we hope.  Winter weather not too exciting anyway.  Did manage to squeeze in the engine hatch handles & hinges in our teak cockpit floor.  Real test will be testing that they are waterproof. … Read More »

We have just had a run of unseasonal May warm weather which ended yesterday.  After 25 degrees, today we had hail and 13 degrees!

A big few days!  Sanding our cockpit teak was a big job.  We had a run of fine weather s outside jobs became a priority.  Looks fantastic!!

How many door frames do you want to see? We keep trying to photograph new and interesting things , but some days are just “more of the same”. There are six internal aluminium door frames, so whilst the first is exciting, you can’t say the same for the other five! At least the bifolds are… Read More »

One of the worst things about building a boat is that you listen to the radio a lot … and we listen to AFL football … and we barrack for the Demons … arrrrrghhhh!!!! … and guys like pies … only a matter of time before the real sauce bottle got confused with the acetone… Read More »

I think it has been “4 weeks” for several weeks now. Big week last week.  Our teak floors are completed (sanding and sealing to come), door frames and doors started to be hung, battery box complete, ceiling panels all up including trim kits, teak shelf edges organised, cockpit hatches hinged and the list goes on,… Read More »

It’s great that people are following our journey … we know they are because we have been reminded we are sacking off with the updates!  has been a few weeks.  So here we are … Everyone is asking, “when are launching?”  We don’t know, but it IS close.  All the jobs we are doing now… Read More »

Easter is here and work is continuing… Our teak cockpit floor is well on the way, fridge has had it’s final fit, floors prepared for carpet in the cabins, engine hatches being fitted and cabins getting their final-fit-out with ceiling panels, bed-head, hatch trims and lights.  Oh so satisfying!  All those months of designing, building… Read More »

It is very worthwhile checking out other boats.  There’s lots of decisions along the way but it can be the simple things that become important because they are critical to how you sail and use your boat.  Placement of cleats, rope organisers, rope bags, cockpit drains and bbqs, all are important to get right.  Thankyou… Read More »

Early finish … off to visit a Fusion 40 called ‘Ohmless’ who are visiting Docklands/Melbourne for a week.

Aghhhh …. Every bone in my body aches!  I love the ‘stand-up’ jobs, the low, tight ones, not so much.  I’ve never seen so many bruises on my legs and knees.  Yesterday was a big day, started at 8.30 and finished at 8.30pm. Washed the decks and scrubbed the cockpit.  It had become the sawmill… Read More »

More work on our teak floors yesterday in our run of nine over 30 degree days, it got to 38 degrees yesterday!  Teak has now been laid right through the saloon, so today is finishing the starboard steps and adding the silver ash curved pieces around the margin boards.  A frypan on a camping stove… Read More »

Teak floor a slow job but looking fantastic and nearly complete.  Then the cockpit.  Our icebox is on the way, lots of shaping and sanding.  Our shelves are all in, just a few edge trims to go. More importantly, the big jobs are now outside ones (because the inside ones are finished).  Lots of tweaking… Read More »

Our ceiling panels, bedheads and upholstery are all completed.  All looking great.  Teak trims hopefully added this week.  Teak floors completed in the hulls, with the saloon next.  A lot of grinding to prepare the floor this weekend.  Every time I think I’ve seen the last of grinding, there’s yet another job.  An awful job! … Read More »

Much anticipation with our ceiling panels.  All the prep work is done.  Panels are arriving slowly.  Very happy with the shape and colour so far.  If they all fit like the ones we have fitted so far, they will look great.  Really ‘finish’ the boat.  We are using the Fastmount system to fix them.  Means… Read More »

The list does go on and on, but we do feel like we are making progress … even experiencing our first (I’m sure not last) leak! We have added trims around all the cupboard door openings now, along with latch blocks & hinges & doors.  Lots of sticky white fingers, and hair, and fingernails with… Read More »

How good is this??!!  

Our first piece of flooring … port hull … teak and ash.

It has been “go” here since Christmas.  With a few quiet weeks of work, our plan has been to get as much done as possible.  Always tricky to juggle the Xmas social commitments with boat building, and the hot weather, but we are finally feeling like we are making progress. We have been filling and… Read More »

I suppose when you get to the stage of seriously writing ‘lists’ it’s a good sign.  We have a very long list of jobs to do before other jobs and it can be quite overwhelming having sooo many things to do.  So working out where to start … hmmm!! So, after we both realised we… Read More »

At last!  The things you talk about for months, plan forever and research all night, finally come together!  It’s when you see the finishing touches that you really see progress.  With holidays upon us, we have a mad scramble to get things ordered, picked up and organised so we have work to go on with… Read More »

So exciting … benchtops installed today, finishing happening Wednesday.  Upholstery started today and cupboard doors & catches being fitted this week too. Can’t wait for Friday’s pics!!

It’s full on now.  Every spare hour of every spare day.  If we want to make January our launch month, it’s full steam ahead. Our outside fairing is very close, our upholstery all confirmed and ordered, bench tops measured with templates completed ready for our cabinet man, galley carcasses in with doors being sprayed as… Read More »

I suppose the second toilet was never going to be quite so exciting and was a challenge to bolt down as we couldn’t reach the locking gadgets but in the end we fabricated some alternative fiberglass brackets which are out of sight and working well? The hardest part about fitting the main fridge was probably… Read More »

The devil IS in the detail.  Our fairer is working on the cockpit now, with the transom main sheet track ledge completed and the side alcoves on the way.  Cockpit under-roof next week.  It’s the inside that it’s all happening.  The two electric windows are installed with two actuators on each now.  Much stronger we… Read More »

Just got back from the Sydney Boat Show.  The usual list of things to see, measure and price.  This is (hopefully) the last of the big shows before we launch so we thought it was an opportunity to check some details and look for a few things we hadn’t made decisions on … and two… Read More »

Installed the freezer unit yesterday (not plumbed in yet) … a big shiney bit!  We have a separate freezer in the starboard hull for long distance cruising with a fridge/freezer in the galley for everyday use.

Fitted the two electric windows yesterday. Designed these with the companion-way door frame.  All aluminium with white powder-coated surface.  Had them for ages so very exciting to finally start fitting them.  And they are electric!

While the weather has been COLD we have kept at it … with the latest ETL (estimated time of launch) being January, the “heat is on!”   Jumping out of bed early morning hasn’t been that easy but once inside the boat with the heater on it has been rather cosy.  We’ve been having 2 degree nights… Read More »

It’s so bloody cold here in Melbourne.  My football team is losing so I now have weekends “free” ??!!  Why not speed things along on the boat building front.  Neville and I have just finished 4 days straight and feel like we may have turned the corner.   Acetone bottle and rag in one hand and… Read More »